D Fraction Boosts Natural Killer Cells

Byron's Comments:

This is important for fighting viral infection.

Study Title:

Enhancement of cytotoxicity of NK cells by D-Fraction, a polysaccharide from Grifola frondosa.

Study Abstract:

In innate immunity, activated natural killer (NK) cells attack and damage pathogens such as bacteria and virus without restriction by the MHC antigen. NK cells activated by IL-12 have been reported to recognize and kill tumor cells in perforin-mediated apoptosis. We have reported that D-Fraction, a polysaccharide extracted from the maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa), activates macrophages, dendritic cells, and T cells and inhibits the growth of tumor cells. However, the effects of D-Fraction on NK cell function in the innate immune response are not well known. In the present study, we administered D-Fraction to MM-46 mammary tumor-bearing C3H/HeJ mice intraperitoneally for 3 consecutive days and investigated its effects on the activation and cytotoxicity of NK cells. D-Fraction significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity against NK-sensitive YAC-1 cells and the expression of CD223 on NK cells. D-Fraction also increased the expression of CD86 on macrophages. In addition, the levels of IL-12 in the culture supernatant of whole spleen cells and in serum increased, compared with the control corresponding to an increase in expression of IL-12 receptor betaI on NK cells. These results suggest that D-Fraction enhances the cytotoxicity of NK cells through the production of IL-12 by macrophages activated by D-Fraction

Study Information:

Kodama N, Asakawa A, Inui A, Masuda Y, Nanba H. Enhancement of cytotoxicity of NK cells by D-Fraction, a polysaccharide from Grifola frondosa. Oncol Rep.   2008 February  60(2):237-43.
Department of Microbial Chemistry, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1 Motoyama-kitamachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe 658-8558, Japan.

My cart is empty.   View Cart |  Login

• How Protein Helps Weight Loss

• The Five Rules of The Leptin Diet

• The Facts on Magnesium Stearate

• What is Leptin?

• Taking Q10 for a Test Drive – Is Ubiquinol Better?